The supplement industry is a booming but competitive industry. If you’re a supplement brand or supplement manufacturer, each and every decision regarding how you formulate, create, market, and sell your products is important and should be well-thought-out, including your supplement packaging. Blister packaging is one popular option for supplement packaging.
There are quite a few advantages of blister packaging for consumers and manufacturers and really not so many disadvantages. Advantages include increased security, freshness, extra convenience, easy dosing, and improved compliance among consumers, just to name a few. The only real disadvantage of blister packaging is that blister packs take a bit longer to produce. Considering the long list of advantages, however, we’d say blister packaging is often worth the wait.
In this article, you’ll learn all about blister packaging. You’ll learn what blister packs are and about the different types of blister packs available for supplements. Then, you’ll learn about all of the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of supplement packaging so that you can decide whether or not blister packaging is a viable option for your target market.
What is blister packaging?
A blister pack is made up of two separate parts. One part is a cavity or pocket molded to the shape of the supplement. The other part is the backing that keeps the supplement from falling out of the cavity.
Because of the many advantages of blister packaging for both manufacturers and consumers, blister packaging is often the preferred type of supplement packaging for capsules and tablets.
Types of blister packaging
There are many types of blister packs. The most common types include:
Plastic-paper: Plastic mold with paper backing.
Plastic-plastic: Plastic mold on both sides (usually opening like a clamshell)
Plastic-foil: Plastic mold with an aluminum foil backing.
Foil-foil: Aluminum foil mold with an aluminum foil backing.
You may have noticed that not all types of blister packs mentioned above are commonly used for supplements.
The most common types of blister packs used for supplements are plastic-foil and foil-foil. With plastic-foil blister packs, the cavity is made using a process called thermoforming – applying heat to mold the plastic. With foil-foil blister packs, the cavity is created by a process called cold pressing – pressing a stamp into the aluminum material to create the cavity.
Plastic-foil is typically more common for supplements for a couple of reasons. The plastic allows consumers to see the exact size and shape of the pill inside, and plastic-foil blister packs are faster and easier to produce. That being said, foil-foil blister packs do have one important advantage: The use of aluminum offers a near-complete barrier for water and oxygen, which increases the shelf-life of the product.
Foil-foil blister packaging made with cold pressing.
Plastic-foil blister packaging made with thermoforming.
Benefits of blister packaging for supplements
Regardless of the type of blister packaging you chose, blister packaging has many benefits for supplement brands and consumers. Below, is a list of advantages of using blister packaging for your tablets and capsules.
1. Added protection
While some capsules and tablets can withstand crashing and tumbling around in a plastic bottle (while in transit for example), others are more sensitive to movement and can break if not handled with care. Blister packs offer added protection for capsules, tablets, and softgels. The individual compartments keep the pills from crashing into each other and breaking apart.
2. Freshness
Some supplement ingredients are highly sensitive to humidity and oxygen. With plastic bottle packaging, each time a consumer opens the bottle, the pills inside are exposed to both humidity and oxygen, decreasing their shelf-life. Blister packs offer a way for consumers to access their pills without exposing the rest of the pills in the bottle to potentially harmful factors.
3. Convenience for travel
Another great advantage of blister packs is that they’re very easy to travel with. Not only are they typically lighter than plastic bottles, but they are also typically easier to store in small spaces. Travelers can choose to travel with just one sheet of pills, for example, and leave the rest at home. Not to mention, the added protection of blister packs makes them ideal for traveling.
4. Compliance
One of the greatest advantages of blister packaging is that it’s very helpful for consumers to keep track of how many pills they have taken. It’s also easy to print days of the week on the aluminum backing of blister packs to help consumers make sure they’re taking their daily supplements.
5. Transparency
Transparency is really important to some consumers. They want to see the exact size and shape of the tablet or capsule they’ll be taking every day. Blister packaging is one great way to show your consumers what your product looks like. You can also use the opportunity to get creative with colors and help your brand stand out.
Disadvantages of blister packaging for supplements
As previously mentioned, there aren’t many disadvantages to using blister packaging for your supplements. In fact, there are only really two:
It takes some additional time to produce cold-pressed, foil-foil blister packs.
Most blister packs come in cardboard boxes which aren’t always the most durable.
Are you looking for a supplement manufacturer?
If you’re looking for a supplement manufacturer, it’s a good idea to research their packaging capabilities. The way you choose to package your product could be the difference between success and failure, so you’ll want to choose a supplement manufacturer with many packaging options available.
The best supplement manufacturers will also offer you advice in terms of packaging your supplement so you can make the right decision for your supplement, your brand, and your consumers.
Generation Nutra offers many kinds of packaging options, including blister packs. Here are some additional benefits of building your supplement brand with Generation Nutra:
Thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
Thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
Cordyceps sinensis has been helping athletes succeed since the early 90s. In 1993, the Chinese Olympic women’s running team used the medicinal mushroom to break not one but three records at the World Tour Track and Field Championship in Germany. But, Cordyceps sinensis isn’t the only medicinal Cordyceps mushroom with exceptional benefits for athletes. In recent years, scientists have discovered that Cordyceps militaris, a close relative of Cordyceps sinensis, also has a long list of promising benefits, and the benefits don’t just apply to athletes.
Cordyceps militaris also supports immune health, a healthy libido, and healthy inflammatory function, among other essential functions. It’s also cheaper and easier to grow than Cordyceps sinensis. It’s no wonder so many supplement brands and supplement manufacturers are adding Cordyceps militaris to their supplements.
In this article, you’ll learn all about Cordyceps militaris. First you’ll learn more about what it is and how it’s different from Cordyceps sinensis. Then, you’ll learn all about the powerful benefits of this medicinal mushroom backed by scientific research.
Whether you’re a supplement brand, supplement manufacturer, or interested in taking Cordyceps militaris for yourself, consider this article your complete guide.
Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps sinensis are both species of Cordyceps which is a fungus native to high-mountain regions in china. The generic name Cordyceps is derived from the Greek word κορδύλη kordýlē, meaning “club”. Cordyceps mushrooms are, indeed, club-shaped.
Cordyceps sinensis was the first species of Cordyceps to gain popularity in the western world following the success of the Chinese Olympic women’s running team in 1993. However, Cordyceps sinensis is notoriously hard to grow, which is no surprise considering Cordyceps sinensis naturally grows inside of caterpillars. The parasitic fungus germinates in the living larva, killing and mummifying it until a dark brown, stalk-like fruiting body emerges from the corpse and stands upright. It would be quite difficult to replicate that process. Cordyceps sinensis is not only hard to cultivate, but it’s also extremely expensive. In fact, wild Cordyceps sinensis costs over $20,000 per kilogram, making it the most expensive mushroom in the world.
Cordyceps militaris, on the other hand, is much easier to cultivate and much less expensive, making it the preferred Cordyceps mushroom for dietary supplements. Additionally, recent research suggests that Cordyceps militaris may actually provide more benefits than its famous cousin, Cordyceps sinensis. Check out some of the most important benefits of Cordyceps militaris in the next section.
Cordyceps militaris – Benefits
Scientists have only begun to study the benefits of Cordyceps militaris. So far, they’ve found evidence that Cordyceps militaris may provide the following benefits.
1. Supports ATP production → Increases Energy
ATP, also known as Adenosine Triphosphate, is the primary energy carrier in all living organisms on earth. Every cell uses ATP for energy. One of the greatest benefits of Cordyceps militaris is its ability to support ATP production and increase ATP levels. [1] Increased ATP means increased energy, increased tolerance to high-intensity exercise, and increased TTE (time to exhaustion).
VO2 max is used to measure the cardiorespiratory systems’ ability to transport oxygen from the air to the tissues and is a common measurement to determine fitness level. Cordyceps militaris has been found to significantly increase VO2 max after just three weeks of consistent supplementation. [2]
Mitochondria are organelles that can be considered the power generators of cells. Their main task is to convert oxygen and nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Over time and due to specific internal circumstances, mitochondria can become injured and start to swell, which leads to the development of diseases associated with oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is notorious for damaging cells, proteins, and DNA, and contributing to aging. [3] Research indicates that Cordyceps militaris offers protection for mitochondria and, thus, exhibits strong anti-aging properties. [4]
4. Strengthens T-cell response → Supports immune health
T-cells play an essential role in the immune system. They are responsible for directly killing infected host cells, activating other immune cells, producing cytokines, and regulating the immune response. [5] Research suggests that Cordyceps militaris may help to improve T-cell responses against diseases and tumors, ultimately boosting and supporting the immune system. [6]
5. Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties
Inflammation is a beneficial response to infection and tissue injury that leads to the restoration of normal tissue structure and function. A normal inflammatory response is beneficial. Chronic inflammation, however, contributes to the development of many inflammatory diseases and can even lead to cancer. [7] Scientists have found that Cordyceps militaris may exhibit both anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. [8]
6. Increases testosterone → Improves sexual and reproductive health
Cordyceps mushrooms have been used for the enhancement of sexual function for thousands of years. Recent evidence demonstrates why and how. Both Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris can increase testosterone levels, thereby improving reproductive activity and restoring impaired reproductive function. [9]
Conclusion
Many health enthusiasts, athletes, and supplement manufacturers have known about the benefits of Cordyceps sinensis since the early 90s, but Cordyceps sinensis is notoriously hard to grow and extremely expensive. It’s the most expensive mushroom in the world.
Scientists are now discovering that Cordyceps sinensis’s cousin, Cordyceps militaris, is not only easier to grow and less expensive but that it also has a long list of benefits. Some speculate that Cordyceps militaris may have even more benefits than the famous Cordyceps sinensis, making it an interesting ingredient for supplement brands, supplement manufacturers, and consumers.
Are you looking for a supplement manufacturer?
Quality ingredients like Cordyceps militaris can be the difference between creating an effective and popular dietary supplement formula and creating a formula that falls short of expectations. Choosing the right supplement manufacturer is key to creating awesome formulas that wow your customers.
Generation Nutra uses only the best raw ingredients to help supplement brands create winning, successful, and prosperous formulas. Here are some additional benefits of building your supplement brand with Generation Nutra:
Thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
The supplement industry is booming, especially when it comes to liquid vitamins. Growing awareness about the importance of nutrition for health and wellness along with the realization that the typical American diet lacks many important nutrients have caused Americans to turn to all kinds of dietary supplements to fulfill their nutritional needs.
That being said, many would agree that consistently taking vitamins or other dietary supplements every day can be quite a challenge. Pill-popping is anything but pleasant, and powders are not for everyone.
Fortunately, in recent years, supplement manufacturers have been working hard to invent new, easier ways for consumers to take their daily multivitamins. Of all the new trends to replace vitamin pills with easier substitutes, liquid vitamins seem to be leading the pack.
According to Transparency Market Research, consumers prefer liquid vitamins because they’re easier to swallow and more easily absorbed by the body. They also tend to be cheaper than traditional capsules and tablets. [1] But that doesn’t mean they don’t also have their fair share of setbacks for both consumers and manufacturers.
In this article, you’ll learn all about liquid vitamins and the liquid supplement market, including the pros and cons for manufacturers and consumers. Whether you’re a supplement brand considering selling liquid supplements or a consumer considering purchasing them, here’s everything you need to know.
What are liquid vitamins?
Liquid vitamins are simply vitamins (or other dietary supplements) that are produced and sold in liquid form. They are currently one of the most popular types of dietary supplements on the market today and are especially popular amongst children and elderly consumers.
Types of liquid vitamins
Just like there are various types of supplement pills (including capsules, tablets, and softgels), there are also quite a few types of liquid supplements and vitamins available in the marketplace.
Single-dose liquid vitamin tubes or shots
One of the most popular types of liquid vitamins is single-dose liquid vitamin tubes or shots. These vitamins come in small bottles or tubes that can usually be finished in one or two large gulps for the average adult. Single single-dose liquid vitamins are great for both adults and kids and are especially appealing as last-minute impulse items. Consumers are often curious about their taste and effect, and, since they’re only single-dose bottles, there’s very little risk in making the purchase and trying them out.
Multi-dose liquid vitamin bottles
Multi-dose liquid vitamin bottles are larger bottles that contain multiple doses of the liquid supplement. These bottles usually contain instructions regarding daily serving sizes for adults, children, or both. Multi-dose liquid vitamins are great for consumers with certain medical conditions that require them to take certain supplements every single day in order to maintain good health. They’re also more cost-effective than single-dose liquids and are, therefore, better for consumers looking to add vitamins or other liquid supplements to their everyday routines.
Liquid vitamin droppers
Liquid vitamin droppers are another type of common liquid supplement with highly concentrated vitamins. In fact, serving sizes for liquid vitamin droppers is usually just one or two drops daily under the tongue. Vitamin droppers are the preferred choice for mothers and fathers adding dietary supplements to their baby’s diet. They’re also common for sick or elderly individuals who have trouble ingesting other vitamin formats. Liquid droppers are also more common for specific kinds of dietary supplements like herbal extracts.
Growth on the horizon for the liquid supplement market
The liquid supplement market is expecting incredible growth in the years to come. According to Research and Markets, the global liquid nutritional supplement market is expected to reach US$ 32,286.12 million in 2027 from US$ 20,821.15 million in 2018. In other words, the market is estimated to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2019 to 2027. [2]
Market researchers attribute this growth forecast to a variety of key factors:
The overall growing interest and demand for dietary supplements
An increase in chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases
The benefits of liquid supplements, especially for people suffering from cancer, unconscious states, paralysis, and other conditions leading to dysfunctions and disabilities
Growing awareness of liquid vitamins and supplements
Manufacturing improvements to liquid supplements regarding taste, texture, and administration
Versatility of liquid supplements as they’re used for skincare products, animal feed, and even as food additives
One of the key factors driving the growth of the liquid vitamin industry is the benefits of liquid vitamins for both consumers and manufacturers, but that doesn’t mean that liquid vitamins are the right choice for everybody. Whether you’re thinking about taking liquid vitamins yourself, or you’re thinking about manufacturing and selling them to your customers, it’s a good idea to learn more about both the advantages and disadvantages of liquid vitamins.
The advantages of liquid vitamins
1. Easier to swallow
One of the most obvious benefits of liquid vitamins is that liquids are usually easier to swallow than capsules and tablets. This makes liquid vitamins appealing to a large percentage of the population, including kids under 12 years old, seniors older than 65, people with certain medical conditions that make swallowing difficult, and people that suffer from pill anxiety.
More than 25% of kids have difficulty swallowing medication. [3]
Between 10 and 40% of the adult population has difficulty swallowing pills. [4]
About 20% of aged care residents reportedly skip medications because of their inability to swallow them. [5]
Liquid vitamins provide a clear solution for all of the demographics listed above.
2. More easily absorbed
Liquid supplements are also more easily absorbed by the body and, therefore, more effective. When you swallow a tablet, your body has to break apart or dissolve the tablet to get to the micronutrients inside. The same is true for capsules. When you swallow a capsule, your body has to break down the outer shell of the capsule before it can access its nutrients.
Unfortunately, if this process is too slow, and it takes your body too long to break down the tablets or capsules, the nutrients will pass right through your digestive tract with little to no absorption. Liquid vitamins propose a solution to this problem. With liquid supplements, the nutrients are accessed and absorbed almost immediately, which means your body can take advantage of the full dosage of vitamins and minerals.
3. Fewer mystery ingredients
Many tablets have a long list of ingredients known as bonding agents as well as ingredients to improve their shelf-life. Unfortunately, these ingredients can come with some seriously consequential side-effects. Here are just a few of the mystery ingredients found in many tablets:
Hydrogenated oils, used to increase shelf-life, can increase LDL “bad” cholesterol and decrease HDL “good” cholesterol and can also cause inflammation.
Sodium Benzoate, used to keep tablets fresh and extend shelf-life, has been linked to DNA damage, liver cell damage, hyperactivity, and several types of cancer. [6]
Magnesium stearate and magnesium silicate, used to keep ingredients from clumping, may cause cellular inflammation. [7]
Liquid vitamins usually expire more quickly, but usually don’t contain as many of the mystery ingredients listed above as tablets do. If you’re worried about what’s in your vitamins, liquid vitamins may be a better option.
4. Easier dose modifications
Many families and friends like to share their supplements, but the dosage isn’t always the same amongst family members or friends. While full-grown adults could require 600 milligrams of a supplement, kids might only require 200 milligrams. That means, a 600-milligram tablet would need to be cut into thirds, or the adult would need to take 3 pills.
Both cutting a tablet and taking extra pills is a hassle. Not to mention, with capsules, dose modification is impossible, considering the fact that you’d have to break apart the capsule (and tamper with absorption rates). Liquid vitamins, on the other hand, make it easy to modify dosage. Just pour a little more, or pour a little less.
5. Better synergism
Synergy refers to the combination of two or more supplements to produce a greater effect than when taken alone. The fact of the matter is, certain vitamins and minerals work better when combined. Vitamins K and D, for example, are more effective for bone and joint health when combined than when taken alone. [8]
Liquid vitamins are able to achieve high levels of nutrient density that are not achievable with capsules or tablets. That means, with a liquid formula, you can add higher doses of synergetic micronutrients to amplify the health-boosting benefits of the supplements.
Simply put, with liquid vitamins, the effect of each nutrient is much more significant and, therefore, produces better results.
The disadvantages of liquid vitamins
1. Bad taste and smell
One of the biggest disadvantages of liquid vitamins is that it’s very difficult to create a liquid vitamin that tastes great. Every supplement contains active ingredients that are considered to be its base. The taste of this base can best be described as “tasting like medicine,” and it’s difficult for supplement manufacturers to appropriately mask that flavor and create a great-tasting liquid vitamin. That being said, with the right formula, a great-tasting liquid vitamin isn’t out of the question.
2. Liquid is bad for certain ingredients
Some ingredients are less stable in a liquid environment, making them less effective over time. This is especially true for vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid. If you’re thinking about manufacturing liquid vitamins, make sure that the ingredients you choose are stable in a liquid environment.
Additionally, some ingredients, like melatonin, are meant to be released over a period of time. It’s difficult to manufacture liquid vitamins with slow-releasing ingredients.
3. Dosing problems
It’s easy to modify the dosage of liquid vitamins, which means it’s also easy for consumers to take too much or too little. In the best-case scenarios, taking too much or too little could mean overspending or a lack of results. In the worst-case scenarios, taking too much or too little could be the difference between life and death. When highly accurate dosing is extremely important, it’s best to stick to pre-dosed capsules and tablets.
Interested in manufacturing liquid vitamins?
The liquid supplement market is booming, and the trend isn’t slowing down. Consumers want more liquid vitamins. That being said, it takes a lot of expertise to understand which ingredients work well for liquids, how to combine them, and how to create a great-tasting liquid supplement.
If you’re interested in adding liquid vitamins to your supplement brand, you’ll want to choose a supplement manufacturer with both expertise and experience manufacturing liquid vitamins.
Generation Nutra can help you formulate the perfect liquid vitamin for your customers and offer you so much more. Here are some extra benefits you get when you choose Generation Nutra as your liquid supplement manufacturer:
Thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
Are you interested in starting your own supplement company? Starting your own supplement company can be incredibly rewarding. The supplement industry is booming, and creating and selling your own brand can be extremely profitable.
That being said, it takes more than just good ideas and an interest in health, fitness, and nutrition to be successful in the supplement industry. You’ll have to choose a supplement manufacturer, create your products, choose your formats, choose your packaging, design your labels, market your products, and, finally, distribute them. And, you’ll have to be strategic every step of the way. Competition in the supplement industry is fierce.
Nevertheless, a little strategy and a lot of hard work and commitment can go a long way! If you stay committed to your brand, you can make hundreds of thousands of dollars every month with just a small investment.
Are you ready to start your own supplement company? In this article, you’ll learn how to start a supplement company in 12 easy steps from choosing a niche market and defining your brand to developing, selling, and distributing your products.
Interested in starting your own supplement company?
Before we discuss the steps to starting your own supplement company, we should first talk about whether or not starting your own supplement company is the right decision for you. Is it a good idea for you to start your own supplement company? There are few better ways to evaluate a decision than by weighing the pros and cons.
Pros
The supplement industry is booming. Demand is incredibly high, the supplement market is huge, and growth is on the horizon. According to GlobeNewswire, the global dietary supplements market size is projected to reach USD 230.73 billion by 2027, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.2% from 2020 to 2027.
Starting your own supplement company is rather cheap. It doesn’t cost much money to create a website for your supplement business, and it doesn’t cost much money to create supplements either. If you start your business online, you can start your own supplement company with as little as $5,000, although it will be a bit easier with $10,000. Still, compared to other business ventures, $10,000 is a very small investment.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have to create a new supplement formula to start your own company. Of course, you can create your own formulas, but you can also make money by selling simple single-ingredient supplements. All you really need is a clever brand and marketing strategy.
Starting your own supplement company can be fun, rewarding, and profitable! You get to be creative, you get to help people feel good, and you can make tens of thousands of dollars every month.
Cons
You will have to invest some money. $5,000 – $10,000 is not much compared to other business ventures, but it’s still $5,000 – $10,000.
You will likely work more than 40 hours per week in the beginning. There’s a lot of work that goes into starting any business, and starting a supplement business is no exception.
It may take a while before you see any return on your investment. As mentioned, it takes a lot of work to start your own company. It could take 6 months or longer to get the business up and running and make your first sale.
There are a lot of laws regarding manufacturing and selling supplements, and not all supplement manufacturers follow them. That’s why, if you want to start your own supplement company, it’s a good idea to get familiar with all of the laws yourself or to hire an attorney to do it for you.
Are you still interested in starting your own supplement company? Here’s how to do it in 12 easy steps!
1. Identify your target audience
The first step to starting a supplement company is identifying a target audience for your products.
Think of your target audience as your target customer. What kind of person would you like your product, your supplement labels, and your brand message to appeal to?
Let’s do a basic exercise. Imagine the kind of customer that would buy a supplement to improve their hair, skin, and nails. What other kinds of supplements might they buy? What kind of label design and brand messaging would appeal to this kind of customer?
Now imagine the kind of customer that would buy calcium supplements for bone health. What other kinds of supplements might this customer want to buy? What kind of label design and brand messaging would appeal to this kind of customer?
Chances are high that you imagined two totally different kinds of customers along with different labels, bottles, and brand messaging. Creating a brand that appeals to both customers would be quite difficult. In all likelihood, if you tried to appeal to both customers, your brand would be confusing and incohesive, or, worse yet, vague and generic.
The good news is, you don’t have to create a brand that appeals to both customers! The supplement industry is huge. There are plenty of niche audiences you can target and plenty of customers within each niche audience. The first key to creating a successful supplement company is choosing just one niche.
2. Evaluate your competition
Once you identify your target audience, the next step to starting a supplement company is evaluating the competition. What other brands are targeting the same niche customers as you are, and what are they doing to attract and convert customers within that niche?
There are a couple of reasons why it’s a good idea to evaluate your supplement brand’s competition. First and foremost, evaluating your competition is one of the best ways to get ideas for your own supplement business.
That being said, you shouldn’t simply copy your competition’s business model. Once you have a good idea of what they do and how they do things, you’ll want to look for ways that you can distinguish your company and your brand from theirs. What can you do differently than they do? Better yet, what can you do better?
One of the best ways to evaluate your competition and find your competitive edge is by identifying their strengths and weaknesses. If you can exceed their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses, you’ll have a strong competitive advantage.
Here are some things you’ll want to pay attention when evaluating your competition:
Their products. What kind of products are they selling?
Their marketing. What strategies do they use to attract and convert clients?
Their main selling-points. How do they distinguish themselves from the competition?
Their end-to-end customer experience. What kind of experience do they provide for their customers?
Interested in starting your own supplement company?
Once you identify your target audience and have a good idea of how you plan to distinguish yourself from your competition, it’s time to put your thinking cap on! The next step to starting a supplement company is brainstorming about your brand.
Developing a brand for your supplement company can be tricky. There should be more to your brand than a name, a logo, some nice colors, and fonts. Your brand should have a personality and a story that your target audience can relate to and appreciate. Likewise, your customers should feel and recognize your brand’s story and personality each and every time they interact with your brand.
There’s no one way to develop your brand, but, in general, it’s a good idea to start with your positioning statement (what do you do and what differentiates you from your competition). Once you define your positioning statement, you can use it as a reference point to work on all other aspects of your brand.
You can use the template below from Shopify to create a positioning statement for your brand:
We offer [PRODUCT/SERVICE] for [TARGET AUDIENCE] to [*VALUE PROPOSITION]. Unlike [THE COMPETITION], we [UNIQUE SELLING POINT].
Your value proposition is simply the value you intend to deliver to your audience.
Here’s an example: “We offer all kinds of recovery supplementsfor fitness freaks so they can recover faster, spend more time at the gym, and meet their fitness goals faster than ever before. Unlike other recovery supplements, you can feel the effects of our supplements almost immediately.”
After you define your positioning statement, you can get to work defining and developing other aspects of your brand.
Features, benefits, and points of sales – What are some of your brand’s most distinguishing features benefits and selling-points? Keep your unique selling point in mind.
Brand personality and voice – If your brand were a person, how would you describe its personality? What kind of voice will your brand use to communicate with the world? Think about your target audience and what they would find appealing.
Name your brand – Choose a name that’s both unique and easy to remember. Make sure the domain is available. You’ll want to choose a name that you can turn into a .com.
Create a tagline – Your tagline is a short memorable description that clearly communicates what your brand does and how. Building on the example above, an appropriate tagline might be something like “Get back to the gym”.
Logo and design – When it comes to your logo, design, and label designs, you might want to consider hiring a professional designer.
4. Create a basic marketing plan
After brainstorming about your brand, you’ll want to come up with a basic marketing and sales plan for your supplement company. How do you plan to attract and convert customers? You’ll need marketing to attract customers and move them along the buyer’s journey. Once they’re ready to buy, you’ll need some sales tactics to get them to make a purchase.
Common marketing strategies for supplement companies:
Social Networks and Viral Marketing –Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. One effective way to promote your products on social media is by working with influencers or people with large social media followings.
Paid Media Advertising – Paid media advertising involves promoting your content through sponsored social media posts, display ads, paid search results, video ads, pop-ups, and other promoted multimedia. If someone searches for supplements, targeting them with ads for your supplements could be a great way to make some sales.
Content Marketing – Content marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. If your supplements are all about recovery (to follow the example used earlier), you might consider writing a lot of content about the importance of allowing the body to recover before returning to the gym.
Email Marketing – Email marketing is the act of sending a commercial message to a target audience via email. It seems simple but email marketing is extremely effective these days. If you’d like to try email marketing for your supplement company, you’ll have to start collecting emails somehow from potential customers.
Conversational Marketing – Conversational Marketing is a method of engaging with website visitors through conversation to move them through the buyer’s journey and turn them into paying customers. Any time you see a chat box pop up on a website, the company is employing conversational marketing.
Earned Media/PR – Earned media (or free media) refers to publicity gained through promotional efforts other than paid media advertising. If you do something good for the community and are featured in the local paper, for example, the feature article is an example of earned media. Earned media and PR can be a great way to build brand awareness.
Most supplement companies use a mix of many of the marketing strategies listed above. When you develop your marketing strategy, don’t forget to check out what your competition is doing. What are their strengths and weaknesses when marketing to their customers? Once you know their strengths and weaknesses, you can come up with a plan to do it better.
5. Choose a supplement manufacturer
Once you decide on a target audience, evaluate your competition, define your brand, and come up with a basic marketing strategy, it’s time to choose a supplement manufacturer. Choosing a supplement manufacturer is one of the most important steps to starting your own supplement company.
Your supplement manufacturer will be like your business partner, with you every step of the way to help you grow and develop your brand. So, choosing the right manufacturer could be the difference between becoming a successful supplement company and throwing in the towel early.
The best supplement manufacturers will…
Use quality raw materials and ensure quality products.
Offer thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
Offer advice in terms of formulation.
Offer multiple supplement formats and help you choose the right one for your market.
If you choose the right supplement manufacturer, the next few steps will be easy! Your supplement manufacturer will help you create and develop your formulas, decide on appropriate formats, decide on supplement packaging, and design your label. Some will even help your market and sell your product! First on the list is creating and developing your formulas.
First, you’ll have to decide the type of supplement(s) you want to create. If you’ve been researching your target audience, evaluating your competition, and developing your brand, you probably already have a good idea of the kinds of supplements you want to create. Some examples include beauty supplements, sports and fitness supplements, supplements for weight management, supplements for health and wellness, and supplements for anti-aging.
Next, you have to decide what you want each of your supplements to do. If you’ve decided to create beauty supplements, for example, you’ll have to decide exactly what kind of beauty supplements you want to create. Will you make supplements for better hair? If so, what will they do for hair? Will they make hair grow faster? Will they make hair grow thicker? You can ask these kinds of questions for each category of supplements.
Of course, you’ll also have to decide on any specifications, depending on your target market. For example, will your products be all-natural? Will they be organic? Will you sell any kosher options? What kinds of specifications might your target audience want to see?
Once you decide what kind of products you want to make, you can get to work on the fun part: choosing ingredients. Let’s stick to the hair example. Vitamins A and B cause hair growth. Vitamin C is used to make collagen which can protect hair from damage and prevent hair from aging. Vitamins D and E might help reverse hair loss. And the list goes on and on. Work together with your supplement manufacturer to decide what ingredients you want to include in your supplements and what ratios you want to include them in.
7. Decide on appropriate formats
The next step to starting your own supplement company is choosing appropriate formats for your supplements. Dietary supplements come in a variety of forms, including tablets, capsules, gummies, softgels, powders, liquids, and even energy bars.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when deciding on appropriate formats for your supplements. Here are some questions you’ll want to ask yourself:
“What are the most common supplement formats for the type of supplement I want to create?”
“What is my competition doing?”
“What supplement formats would my target market prefer?”
“What are the pros and cons of each supplement format?”
“Can I use supplement formats to gain a competitive edge over my competition somehow?”
Below, you’ll find basic descriptions of the most common supplement formats. You can use them to brainstorm supplement formats for your brand.
Tablets – Tablets are the most common formats of pills. They’re made by compressing one or more powdered ingredients together to form a hard, solid, smooth-coated pill that breaks down in the digestive tract.
Capsules – Capsules are supplements in powder form that are enclosed in an outer shell. The shell is then broken down in the digestive tract and the supplement is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Softgels – Softgels consist of a gelatin-based shell surrounding a liquid filling and, thus, are popular formats for liquid or oil-based supplements. Like capsules, the shell is broken down in the digestive tract, leaving the supplement to be directly absorbed into the bloodstream.
Gummies – Gummy supplements are more popular than ever and it’s easy to see why. Gummies are arguably the tastiest of all supplement formats. They’re commonly made from gelatin, corn starch, water, sugar, and added colorings.
Liquids – Liquids are also gaining popularity as a popular choice for kids and senior citizens who have trouble swallowing bulky tablets, capsules, and softgels.
Powders – Powder supplements consist of supplements in powder form along with sweeteners and flavorers to make the supplement taste good when mixed with liquid.
As previously mentioned, the right supplement manufacturer will help you choose appropriate formats for your supplements.
8. Decide on packaging
Supplement packaging is also something you’ll have to decide on when starting your own supplement company, and choosing the right packaging is just as important as choosing the right supplement formats.
When deciding on packaging, here are some key things to consider:
The ingredients of your supplements. Some ingredients perish easily due to air, light, different temperature, and need specific packaging.
The supplement format you’re trying to package. Gummy vitamins, for example, are almost exclusively packaged in clear bottles and jars to display the colorful gummies inside.
The preferences of your target market. Plastic is common and popular but may not appeal to a younger demographic that’s trying to reduce plastic waste for environmental reasons.
The lifestyle of your target market. Moms and dads need their supplements to be in child-proof packages, and seniors need their packages to be easy to read and easy to open.
The cost of the packaging. Customized and non-standard packaging is appealing to make your products stand out from the rest, but standard packaging is much more affordable.
9. Design your label
In the competitive industry of dietary supplements, supplement label design is extremely important. A great design can make your brand stand out from the rest and, more importantly, the right design can help you appeal to your specific niche customer, ultimately leading to increased brand loyalty and sales.
Some supplement manufacturers have experience with label design and will help you design labels and other aspects of your brand, including your logo, colors, and fonts. You can also hire your own label designer, but if you do, you’ll want to make sure the designer has experience with supplement labels. Your designer should be familiar with FDA and GMP regulations so your supplement facts and product label are compliant.
Interested in starting your own supplement company?
Once you’ve finished creating and formulating your products, choosing formats, choosing supplement packaging, and designing your labels, it’s time to consider how you want to distribute your products in order to sell them to your customers. Do you want to sell directly to your customers? Do you want to sell them to wholesale distributors? Will you let other retailers sell your products? A good idea might be to team up with gyms and weight loss clinics, asking them to put your products on their shelves for a percentage of the profit.
A clever distribution plan for your supplement business is essential to making the most bang for your buck. Here are some key points to consider when creating a distribution plan for your supplement business:
Where your target customers like to buy
Where your competition is selling
How your distribution plan might affect your brand image
Your distribution channel options
The effects these channels will have on your sales volumes, costs, and profit margins
Whatever distribution channel you choose, keep in mind that efficiency is extremely important. These days, customers demand quick delivery times, so it’s imperative for you to reach your target customers in a timely manner.
Some supplement manufacturers will help you with storage, kitting, assembly, shipping, and distribution of your supplements. The best supplement manufacturers will also help you maintain and manage healthy inventory levels, so you never run out of stock.
11. Refine your marketing/sales plan
Once you create a distribution plan, you’re almost ready to start selling! There’s just one final, very important step remaining. Remember the basic marketing plan you came up with in step 4? It’s time to revisit and refine your basic marketing plan.
If you’ve decided to use content marketing to your advantage, for example, you’ll have to decide what you’re going to write and how you’re going to write it. Will you write the content yourself? Will you hire a team to write for you? Will you outsource the work? It’s time to work out all of the details of the content marketing plan for your supplement company.
The same is true for all other kinds of marketing. If you’d like to try email marketing for your supplement company (a very wise decision), you’re going to have to choose what platform you’re going to use. Will it be mailchimp, aweber, sendinblue, constant contact, or one of the other email marketing service platforms on the market? Of course, you’ll also have to come up with a plan for collecting emails and a strategy for using email marketing to increase your sales.
The point is, when it comes to marketing and selling your product, there are quite a few important details to work out, and now is the time to do it.
12. Start selling!
Once you’ve completed steps 1 through 11, it’s finally time to start selling your product! Here are some helpful tips and tricks for selling your supplements:
Collect as many reviews as possible!!! According to Spiegel Research Centre, products with reviews are 270% more likely to be bought than products without (2017). Additionally, Testimonial Engine found that 72% of consumers will wait until they’ve read reviews before taking action on a purchase.
Focus on your unique selling point. Your unique selling point (USP) is what differentiates you from the competition. Make sure you sell using your USP so that customers aren’t tempted to look elsewhere for cheaper alternatives to your products.
Play with your pricing and discounts. Offering discounts on supplement purchases is a way to entice customers to make a purchase. Once they try your product and are pleased with the result (and, of course, the overall experience with your brand!), they’ll be more likely to buy from you in the future, discounted or not.
Consider providing free samples. There are two reasons why giving out free supplement samples is a good idea. 1) The need to reciprocate is a very strong, psychological instinct. If you do something for your customers, they’ll feel a surprisingly strong obligation to do something for you. 2) If you frame your samples as free gifts, they’ll feel appreciate of your brand and could potentially become loyal brand ambassadors for your supplement company.
Optimize your Amazon account. Building your brand on Amazon and optimizing your Amazon account is one of the best ways to increase your sales. If you’re unfamiliar with Amazon marketing, it’s a good idea to choose a supplement manufacturer with experience building a brand on Amazon. You don’t want to miss out on Amazon sales.
Choosing a supplement manufacturer is one of the most important steps to building and developing a supplement brand. If you’re interested in starting your own supplement company, use these 10 easy steps to help you choose the right supplement manufacturer for you.
Are you interested in starting your own supplement brand? One of the most important steps to starting your own supplement brand is choosing a supplement manufacturer.
In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of choosing the right supplement manufacturer and we’ll present some helpful information and advice to make sure you’re choosing the right manufacturer for your new brand.
Are you ready to learn how to choose the right supplement manufacturer for your new supplement brand? Here’s everything you need to know.
The importance of choosing the right supplement manufacturer
The supplement industry is booming. Demand is incredibly high, the market is huge, and growth is on the horizon. According to GlobeNewswire, the global dietary supplements market size is projected to reach USD 230.73 billion by 2027, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.2% from 2020 to 2027.
But, that doesn’t mean that competition isn’t steep. The dietary supplements market represents a highly competitive landscape. Key market players like Amway, Arkopharma Laboratoires Pharmaceutiques, Abbott Laboratories, and Archer Daniels Midlan dominate the market space and have been implementing various strategic initiatives to stay on top.
With such a competitive market, it’s crucial to make sure your products stand out from the rest. Here’s where choosing the right supplement manufacturer comes into play.
The best supplement manufacturers will do more for you than simply produce the recipes you ask them to. The best supplement manufacturers will…
Use quality raw materials and ensure quality products.
Offer thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
Offer advice in terms of formulation.
Offer multiple supplement formats and help you choose the right one for your market.
Have a team of in-house graphic designers to help you design custom labels for your brand.
Offer advice and guidance to help you market and sell your product.
And more!
Essentially, your supplement manufacturer will be like your business partner, with you every step of the way to help you grow and develop your brand. Choosing the right manufacturer could be the difference between becoming a successful supplement company and throwing in the towel early.
How to Choose a Supplement Manufacturer
In-house production
The first step to choosing a supplement manufacturer is making sure they have their own lab and manufacturing facility where they produce their supplements.
Many of the largest contract manufacturing companies in the USA outsource their manufacturing to other labs and act as the middle-man between you and actual supplement manufacturers. While there’s no real issue with having a middle-man, at the end of the day, you’ll have less control over your products and longer lead times. You’ll also likely have to wait longer for an answer to your most pressing questions as your agent communicates with your manufacturer on your behalf.
Remember, your supplement manufacturer is like your business partner. It’s much easier to deal directly with your partner than to constantly contact their secretary.
Credibility & Professionalism
The next step to choosing a supplement manufacturer is checking their credentials. There are three certifications that you should absolutely make sure your manufacturer has:
FDA Registered Facility – All supplement manufacturers are required, by law, to register their facility with the FDA. Once registered, the FDA regulates and certifies both finished dietary supplement products and dietary ingredients, making sure they’re safe for the marketplace.
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) – GMP is a system set in place to ensure that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. If a manufacturer possesses a GMP certification, it means that they follow the GMP guidelines that cover all aspects of production including (but not limited to) raw materials, premises, equipment, and staff training.
UL Certified – UL accredited third-party certification provides assurance that a certified product, material, component, or service complies with the technical requirements of the referenced standard. If a manufacturer is UL certified, it means they’re subject to application and information submission, product evaluation, product testing in lab, manufacturing facility inspection, product confirmation, and product sampling, test results review and acceptance, contract signed and products listed and annual plant inspection and retesting.
Other certifications worth looking into are more specific to your niche market. Such certifications include:
Organic Certified – Certified organic products are produced without any genetic engineering or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Kosher Certified – The Kosher certification process involves sending a mashgiach to the production facility to ensure that the product complies with halacha (Jewish law). The mashgiach supervises both the ingredients and the production process.
Halal Certified – IFANCA Halal certification has religious advisors/consultants to advise in matters related to proper procedures and ingredient approval for a religious point of view.
Quality of Raw Materials
The quality of the raw materials will, for obvious reasons, greatly affect the quality of your finished product. The best manufacturers understand the importance of using high-quality raw materials and will go to great lengths to ensure that their raw materials are of great quality.
While certain certifications like the GMP Certification and the UL Certification are good indicators that a manufacturer uses high-quality materials, you should also try to find out information about the manufacturer’s suppliers. How do they choose their suppliers? Do they have a thorough application procedure in place before agreeing to work with new suppliers? They most certainly should!
Manufacturing & Equipment Capabilities
Once you have a better sense of the supplement manufacturer’s credentials and the quality of their products, it’s a good idea to look into their manufacturing and equipment capabilities.
For starters, you may want to check the size of the facility and how many products they can produce in a day. A big facility with fast production rates means shorter lead times and less time waiting for your products. In general, a fast-producing facility should be able to produce at least:
It’s also a good idea to make sure the facility has specific equipment to ensure that your products are safe for the marketplace. Such machinery includes:
De-dusting machinery to help maintain a clean production space
Metal detection equipment to ensure no metal shavings from equipment has entered the product
Creation & Formulation Capabilities
The next step to choosing a supplement manufacturer is researching their creation and formulation capabilities. You want to make sure that the supplement manufacturer you choose can create and formulate a wide variety of products.
There are a couple of key areas you can research to determine their creation and formulation capabilities:
Types of raw materials and ingredients available. Below, is a list of the most popular types of ingredients for dietary supplements. Whatever supplement manufacturer you choose should have all 12 types of ingredients available.
Total number of raw materials and ingredients available. For each type of ingredient listed above, there are numerous subtypes. There are 13 types of vitamins, 16 essential minerals, 5 types of antioxidants, and so on. Ultimately, your supplement manufacturer should have thousands of raw materials in stock to ensure that you can create unique, custom formulas for your customers.
Types of supplement formats. When choosing a supplement manufacturer, you should also check to see what kind of supplement formats they can create. In today’s market, the most popular (and therefore essential) supplement formats include:
Flavors and colors. It’s no secret that offering flavorful products is a great way to give your brand a competitive edge in the supplement industry, but have you ever considered coloring your products? Coloring your supplements can be a great way to create a unique and unified brand image. When choosing a supplement manufacturer, make sure you ask what kind of flavor and color options they provide.
Advice for formulas and formulation.This last point is perhaps the most important. The best supplement manufacturers will not only supply all of the ingredients and equipment to make your vision a reality but will also provide you with advice and guidance regarding your formulation. They should be knowledgeable about industry trends with new ingredients and offer you advice to enhance the effectiveness of your product and to reach a larger demographic of future customers.
Stock Products Available
Another important point to research when choosing a supplement manufacturer is whether or not they offer stock products. Stock products are supplements that are formulated and produced by your manufacturer that you can label and sell as your own products. There are two main reasons you should investigate a supplement manufacturer’s stock options:
You can check out their stock products to get a better sense of their manufacturing specialties and capabilities.
You may consider using one or more of their stock products for your brand. Stock products can save you time, money, and energy, allow you to offer lower costs with higher margins, and provide you with an easy way to expand your product range.
Packaging & Labeling Capabilities
In the competitive industry of dietary supplements, supplement packaging and supplement label design are extremely important. A great design can make your brand stand out from the rest and, more importantly, the right design can help you appeal to your specific niche customer, ultimately leading to increased brand loyalty and sales.
When choosing a supplement manufacturer, it’s a good idea to research their packaging and labeling capabilities. While not all supplement manufacturers offer these services, the best ones do, and choosing a supplement manufacturer with a strong design portfolio could be the difference between success and failure.
Lead Times
Another important factor to consider when choosing a supplement manufacturer is how long it will take them to produce your products. Ideally, you want to choose a manufacturer who can produce your products as quickly as possible so you can send them to market. That being said, if a manufacturer promises exceptionally short lead times, it could be an indication that they may be cutting some corners and, ultimately, producing low-quality products.
The standard lead time for supplement manufacturers is somewhere between four and eight weeks, depending on raw materials required, necessary testing, type of product, packaging choices, etc. When choosing a supplement manufacturer, ask for an estimated timeline rather than an exact number, and pay attention to transparency. When it comes to lead times, transparency is much more important than speed.
Marketing Services
Once you create, design, and produce your product, it will be time to market your brand. It’s a good idea to research and consider the marketing services your supplement manufacturer can provide. While many supplement manufacturers don’t offer any kind of marketing services or advice, the best ones do, and it’s always great to receive advice and guidance from professionals who are familiar with the industry and industry trends.
Does your supplement manufacturer offer help with Amazon marketing? Building your brand on Amazon is one of the best ways to increase brand awareness and sales. Be sure to ask your supplement manufacturer about Amazon marketing.
Customer Service
Of all the points mentioned above, customer service is perhaps the most important of all. As mentioned earlier, your supplement manufacturer should be like your business partner, working with you to grow and develop your brand for years to come. You should feel confident that they’ll not only answer the phone when you call but also that they’re experienced professionals with your brand’s best interest in mind.
Choosing a supplement manufacturer is one of the most important steps to building and developing a supplement brand. If you’re interested in starting your own supplement company, use these 10 easy steps to help you choose the right supplement manufacturer for you.
